The media office of Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned what it described as “disgraceful and dangerous” remarks allegedly made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against journalist Seun Okinbaloye.
In a statement issued on April 4, 2026, the Atiku Media Office warned that such rhetoric signals a troubling shift in Nigeria’s democratic climate.
“Let Nigerians be under no illusion: when those entrusted with authority begin to speak the language of violence against the press, democracy itself is under attack,” the statement said.
The media office argued that Wike’s comments go beyond an isolated outburst, describing them as part of a broader pattern under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“It is not an isolated slip, but a symptom of a more dangerous trend where dissent is criminalised, criticism is met with hostility, and intimidation has become the default language of governance.”
The statement further described the alleged remark as alarming, noting that a public official expressing violent intent toward a journalist represents a dangerous precedent.
“For a serving minister to publicly declare, on live television, that he wished to shoot a journalist over a professional opinion is not just reckless, but a chilling signal of how far governance has descended into intolerance and abuse of power.”
It stressed that such comments should not be trivialised.
“In sane democracies, such a statement would trigger immediate resignation or dismissal. In today’s Nigeria, it is becoming frighteningly routine.”
Raising concerns over press freedom, the media office questioned the implications for ordinary citizens.
“What crime did Mr. Okinbaloye commit? He warned against the creeping danger of a one-party state. For this, a minister responded not with reason, but with a threat of violence.”
“This is how democracies decline—not only through weakened institutions, but through the normalisation of fear, threats, and the silencing of independent voices.”
The statement also called attention to the broader risks posed by such rhetoric.
“If a prominent journalist can be threatened so brazenly on national television, what protection exists for the ordinary Nigerian?”
The Atiku Media Office demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from Wike to Okinbaloye and the Nigerian media, as well as a clear repudiation of the remarks by the federal government.
It also called for concrete assurances on the safety of journalists across the country.
“Anything short of this will confirm what many Nigerians already fear—that this government is increasingly comfortable with the language and instruments of repression.”
Reaffirming its stance, the media office declared:
“Nigeria will not be bullied into silence. The press will not be cowed, and truth will not be silenced by threats, no matter how powerful those behind them.”
Atiku Media Office Slams Wike Over ‘Violent Rhetoric’, Warns of Democratic Backslide
